EP0451868B1

EP0451868B1 - Shower bathing device

Info

Publication number: EP0451868B1
Application number: EP91105882A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Keiichi Ohyama; Ayami Inaba; Takashi Murata
Original assignee: Nisshin Oil Mills Ltd
Current assignee: Nisshin Oil Mills Ltd
Priority date: 1990-04-13
Filing date: 1991-04-12
Publication date: 1994-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-12
Also published as: US5305476A; EP0451868A2; DE69105027T2; DE69105027D1; EP0451868A3

Description

The present invention relates to a shower bathing device capable of making users enjoy bathing hot water showered and also capable of mixing solution for medical or other purposes with hot water showered and freely adjusting the amount of the medical solution mixed.
The conventional shower bathing device was intended only to shower hot water. Recently, however, shower bathing device having a section in which a medicine is filled and another section located on the passage of hot water to mix the medicine with hot water passing through the passage has been proposed (Japanese Utility Model Disclosures Sho 61-155054, -40153, -40154, Sho 62-144562, -194450, Japanese Patent Disclosure Hei 1-223915, Japanese Patent Publication Sho 44-5583 and others). This shower bathing device is intended to fill the medical section with a desired medicine and shower through the head of the shower bathing device (or shower head) hot water while mixing hot water with the medicine. The medicine used may be of the solid type and of the solution type.
In the case where the medicine of the solid type is used on the passage of hot water, however, it often happens that the solid medicine is instantly dissolved or not dissolved by hot water passing through the passage. This makes it difficult to adjust the amount of the solid medicine dissolved into hot water. In addition, the solid medicine can be easily dissolved when the temperature of hot water passing through the passage is high but not when it is low. Therefore, users cannot enjoy bathing hot water which is showered through the shower bathing device and in which the medicine is contained at such an amount as desired.
This problem can be avoided when the medicine used is of the solution type. However, the medicine cannot be mixed with hot water only by providing both of the medicine-filled section and the water-medicine mixing section on the passage of hot water. The pressure of hot water passing through the passage is applied to the medicine-filled section to thereby make it impossible to mix the medicine with hot water. It is impossible to mix the medicine with hot water unless the water-medicine mixing section is under pressure-reduced state.
Japanese Utility Model Disclosure Sho 62-194450 discloses a structure wherein medicine is mixed with hot water by a stream pump system. However, it discloses neither system nor means for adjusting the amount of the bath medicine mixed. In short, it discloses only a valve located between a bath medicine tank and the passage of hot water in this case, but this valve cannot change the pressure-reduced state in the water-medicine mixing section, thereby making it impossible to finely adjust the amount of the medicine mixed with hot water.
Japanese Patent Disclosure Hei 1-223915 discloses another structure wherein the flow rate of bath medicine is controlled by an adjusting cock means. This cock means, however, is attached to the same position as the valve is in the above case. Therefore, the flow rate of bath medicine cannot be finely adjusted by the adjusting cock means.
Japanese Patent Publication Sho 44-5583 discloses further structure wherein an opening is formed at the section of the stream pump. However, this opening is intended not to adjust the flow rate of bath medicine but to mix air with hot water passing through the passage. Therefore, the opening has no means for adjusting the extent to which the opening is opened.
FR-A-2356 400 discloses a shower bathing device which includes a flexible hose, a shower head, and a solution admixing device coupled between the flexible hose and the shower head. The solution admixing device has a tubular body with threads on opposite ends thereof for receiving the hose and the shower head, respectively, and a lateral tubular projection forming a chamber for receiving a plastic bag filled with solution. A short pointed tube projects into the chamber to perforate the bag so that its contents can flow to a mixing chamber of a jet pump formed in the body. A projection on the opposite side of the chamber forms a channel which connects the mixing chamber with the ambient air. A cap is screwed on the projection to adjust the amount of ambient air and, thus, the amount of solution which is supplied to the mixing chamber.
FR-A-2 380 761 discloses a shower bathing device which contains a stream pump in a rising tube leading from a water supply to a shower head. A lateral tube connects the stream pump with a vessel containing a solution to be admixed to the water supplied to the shower head. The amount of solution supplied can be adjusted by a valve in the lateral tube or in a bypass of the stream pump or in an extension of the lateral tube leading to the ambient air.
US-A-4 623 095 discloses a device to air entrain and add liquid soap or some other liquid additive to a water stream which flows through a shower head. There is a secondary liquid additive passageway leading into a constricted reduced pressure area of the main flow passageway of the shower water. A funnel-like container, in which the liquid additive is poured, is mounted laterally and rotably on the water conduit. The supply of the liquid additive can be shut off by rotating the container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shower bathing device which is compact and convenient to use.
A shower bathing device comprising a shower head having passage means through which water is passed, a solution chamber for receiving a member filled with a solution to be supplied into the passage means, means for mixing the solution with water passing through the passage means, said mixing means including stream pump means arranged in the way of the passage means, a pressure reducing chamber communicated with the stream pump means and with ambient air, a mixing area formed in the pressure reducing chamber and communicating with the solution chamber, and means for adjusting the amount of the solution supplied to the mixing area by adjusting the amount of air entering from outside into the pressure reducing chamber, and means for breaking a seal of said solution-filled member, said breaking means projecting into said solution chamber and communicating with the mixing area to supply the solution in the solution-filled member to the mixing area, is characterized according to the present invention in that said mixing means and said solution chamber are formed in said shower head and said solution-filled member is detachably seated on a disk of said solution chamber from which said breaking means projects.
The shower bathing device of the present invention is compact, convenient to use and makes it possible to mix the solution of any of desired medicines such as bath solutions, shampoo, hair rinsing agents, perfumes, abluents, emollient agents, and wound medicines into hot water. In short, the shower bathing device can create such hot water that has any intended effect. Further, whatever type the solution used may be of, the amount of the solution mixed with hot water can be adjusted to thereby achieve more prominent effect which was not seen in the conventional cases. Still further, even if the solution filled in the solution chamber is of the solid or powder type, it can be used in solution to achieve the same effect after it is diffused into water or oil. This makes it possible for the shower bathing device to use almost all of the solution.
This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a shower bathing device according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the shower bathing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the shower bathing device according to another embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 shows an accessory used by the shower bathing device in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the main portion of the shower bathing device in Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 shows an example of the flow rate adjusting means employed by the present invention;
Fig. 7 is a plan intended to explain a section A in Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a plan intended to explain another section B in Fig. 6;
Figs. 9A through 9C are plans intended to explain how the flow rate adjusting means is operated; and
Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional views showing shower bathing devices according to further embodiments of the present invention.

Some of the shower bathing devices which have been embodied according to the present invention will be described in detail referring to Figs. 1 through 11 but it should be understood that the present invention is not limited only to these embodiments.
Fig. 1 schematically shows the main portion of a shower bathing device according to the present invention and Fig. 2 shows the whole of the shower bathing device. According to this shower bathing device, a hot water passage 2 is formed in a head 1 of the shower bathing device and a stream pump 3 is arranged enclosing the hot water passage 2. The stream pump 3 is provided with a pressure reducing chamber 4. Another chamber 5 which is filled with medical solution is also formed in the shower head 1 along the hot water passage 2. An area 6 where the medical solution and hot water are mixed is formed in the pressure reducing chamber 4 and this mixing area 6 is communicated with the medical-solution-filled chamber 5 through a medical solution passage 7. The pressure reducing chamber 4 is further provided with a through-hole 8 communicated with outside, and a member 9 (or a screw in this case) for adjusting the amount of air allowed to enter into the pressure reducing chamber 4 is inserted into the through-hole 8 so as to adjust that open area of the through-hole 8 through which air is allowed to enter into the pressure reducing chamber 4.
When water so hot as to be suitable for shower bathing is passed through the hot water passage 12 in the case of this shower bathing device, air in the pressure reducing chamber 4 is replaced by hot water at once. The pressure of hot water in the pressure reducing chamber 4 is reduced by the action of the stream pump 3 to thereby cause the medical solution in the chamber 5 to be pulled into the pressure reducing chamber 4. It depends upon the temperature and the flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water passage how the pressure of hot water in the pressure reducing chamber 4 is reduced. The amount of the medical solution pulled into the pressure reducing chamber 4 also depends upon the viscosity of the medical solution.
According to this shower bathing device, the through-hole 8 is adjusted by the air adjusting member 9, that is, the open area of the through-hole 8 through which the pressure reducing chamber 4 is communicated with air outside is adjusted by the air adjusting member 9. As the result, the pressure reducing extent of hot water in the chamber 4, or the amount of air allowed to enter into the chamber 4, or the amount of the medical solution pulled into the chamber 4 is adjusted. It is preferable in this case that the medical-solution-filled chamber 5 is made of transparent material so as to enable it to be confirmed by eyes how much the medical solution is mixed into hot water in the pressure reducing chamber 4.
Fig. 3 shows the shower bathing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. A medical solution chamber 11 is formed in the shower head 1 and it can be opened and closed by a swing door member 37. It also includes a disk 12 at the bottom thereof, on which a filler member 13 of the cassette type which is filled with the medical solution is seated. Reference numeral 14 in Fig. 3 denotes an adjusting dial which is arranged, rotatable, enclosing the pressure reducing chamber 4 to adjust the amount of the medical solution pulled into and mixed with hot water in the pressure reducing chamber 4. Another reference numeral 15 represents a cock for opening and closing the medical solution passage 7. The medical solution in the filler member 13 can be prevented from leaking outside if the medical solution passage 7 is closed by the cock 15 when the viscosity of the medical solution is very low and the shower bathing device is left unused.
Figs. 4 and 5 are intended to explain how the shower bathing device in Fig. 3 is operated. Fig. 4 shows the filler member 13 of the cassette type which is filled with the medical solution and which is sealed by an aluminium seal 16. Fig. 5 schematically shows the body portion of the shower head so arranged as to receive the filler member 13, wherein a cylindrical needle 20 is projected from the medical solution passage 7 communicated with the mixing area 6 and the aluminium seal 16 of the filler member 13 is broken by this needle 20 when the filler member 13 is seated on the disk 12 in the filler chamber 11. As the result, the medical solution in the filler member 13 is allowed to flow into the mixing area 6 through the medical solution passage 7. The adjusting dial 14 is provided with a circular air hole 17, and a through-hole 18 which is shaped like a water drop, widening more and more as it comes nearer to the bottom of the water drop, is formed at the wall of the pressure reducing chamber 4. The amount of air allowed to enter into the pressure reducing chamber 4 can be therefore adjusted depending on what part of the water-drop-shaped hole 18 the air hole 17 is superposed, that is, by the open area which is formed by both of the circular air hole 17 and the water-drop-shaped hole 18 and through which the pressure reducing chamber 4 is communicated with air outside.
Although the present invention has been applied to the shower head in the above-described cases, it may be applied to any point on the hot water passage and same merits can also be achieved in this case.
Fig. 6 shows the flow rate adjusting system according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a plan showing a section A which is included in the flow rate adjusting system shown in Fig. 6. The section A is a disk 30 fixed to the shower head 1 and provided with a circular through-hole 31 through which the medical solution is allowed to enter into the pressure reducing chamber 4 and also provided with a circular through-hole 32 through which air outside is allowed to enter into the chamber 4. Fig. 8 is a plan showing a section B which is included in the flow rate adjusting system shown in Fig. 6. The section B is the adjusting dial 14 provided with an arc slot 33 for adjusting the amount of the medical solution allowed to enter into the pressure reducing chamber 4 and also provided with an arc slot 34 which becomes wider and wider from one end to the other end thereof to adjust the amount of air allowed to enter into the chamber 4. These slots 33 and 34 of the adjusting dial 14 are positioned to correspond to the through- holes 31 and 32 of the disk 30. When the adjusting dial 14 is positioned as shown in Fig. 9A, the through-hole 31 is not superposed on the medical solution adjusting slot 33 to thereby stop the supply of the medical solution into hot water in the pressure reducing chamber 4. In addition, the through-hole 32 is not superposed on the air adjusting slot 34. The amount of air adjusted, therefore, becomes maximum and the force created by the stream pump 3 to pull the medical solution into the pressure reducing chamber 4 becomes minimum. Neither the medical solution nor air outside is allowed to enter into the pressure reducing chamber 4, accordingly. When the adjusting dial 14 is positioned as shown in Fig. 9B, the through-hole 31 is communicated with the medical solution adjusting slot 33 while the through-hole 32 is also communicated with the air adjusting slot 34 through the maximum open sectional area. Therefore, the amount of air is a little adjusted and the solution pulling force created by the stream pump 3 is a little increased, so that a little amount of the medical solution can be mixed with hot water in the pressure reducing chamber 4. When the adjusting dial 14 is positioned as shown in Fig. 9C, the open sectional area of a hole which is formed when both of the through-hole 31 and the medical solution adjusting slot 33 are superposed one upon the other is same as in the case shown in Fig. 9B but the open sectional area of another hole formed when both of the through-hole 32 and the air adjusting slot 34 are superposed one upon the other is made smaller. Therefore, the air adjusting hole is made smaller while leaving the medical solution supply opening open. The medical solution pulling force is thus increased to allow a larger amount of the medical solution to be mixed with hot water in the pressure reducing chamber 4. The amount of the medical solution allowed to enter into the chamber 4 can be finely adjusted by one dial in this manner.
Figs. 10 and 11 show the shower bathing devices according to further embodiments of the present invention, wherein the function of showering hot water in which the medical solution is mixed is further enhanced. Each of these devices is provided with a small hole 35 through which the hot water passage 2 is communicated with the pressure reducing chamber 4 to allow hot water in the hot water passage to enter into the chamber 4. It is preferable that the size of this small hole 35 is so large as not to extremely lower the pressure reducing action of the stream pump 3. In the case where the shower bathing device has the small hole 35, the medical solution, while being entered into the pressure reducing chamber 4 by the action of the stream pump 3, is violently stirred and mixed with hot water in the pressure reducing chamber 4 by hot water entering into the chamber 4 through the small hole 35, and the hot water thus mixed with the medical solution is then allowed to flow into the hot water passage. In the case where the device has no small hole 35, however, there is a fear that a part of the medical solution is stayed in the pressure reducing chamber 4 to cause hot water showered through the shower bathing device not to have a sufficient amount of the medicine therein, resulting that the medical solution is not showered from the shower head. When the small hole 35 is formed as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, hot water entering into the pressure reducing chamber 4 through the small hole 35 stirs the medical solution. Thus, hot water showered through the shower head can have a desirable amount of the medicine therein, depending on the extent to which the through-hole 8 is opened or closed.
Further, the chamber 5 which is filled with the medical solution may have a small air hole 36 through which it can be communicated with air outside. The pressure in the chamber 5 can be kept same as atmospheric pressure by this small air hole 36 to thereby enable the medical solution to be mixed with hot water in the pressure reducing chamber 4 under steady state.
Although both of the small holes 35 and 36 have been provided in the above cases, it is not necessarily needed that the shower bathing device has both of them.

Claims

A shower bathing device comprising:
a) a shower head (1) having passage means (2) through which water is passed;

b) a solution chamber (11) for receiving a member (13) filled with a solution to be supplied into the passage means (2);

c) means for mixing the solution with water passing through the passage means (2), said mixing means including stream pump means (3) arranged in the way of the passage means (2), a pressure reducing chamber (4) communicated with the stream pump means (3) and with ambient air, a mixing area formed in the pressure reducing chamber (4) and communicating with the solution chamber (5), and means (8, 9) for adjusting the amount of the solution supplied to the mixing area (6) by adjusting the amount of air entering from outside into the pressure reducing chamber (4); and

d) means (20) for breaking a seal (16) of said solution-filled member, said breaking means projecting into said solution chamber (11) and communicating with the mixing area (6) to supply the solution in the solution-filled member (13) to the mixing area (6),
characterized in that said mixing means (3, 4, 6, 8, 9) and said solution chamber (5) are formed in said shower head (1) and said solution-filled member (13) is detachably seated on a disk (12) of said solution chamber from which said breaking means (20) projects.
The shower bathing device according to claim 1, characterized in that said adjusting means comprises a through-hole (18) formed at the wall of the pressure reducing member (4), a dial member (14) arranged rotatable round the pressure reducing chamber (4) and a through-hole (17) formed at the dial member (14) and wherein said through-holes (17) and (18) are positioned to become superposed one upon the other as the dial member (4) is rotated and both of them are shaped so different from the other as to change the open sectional area of a hole formed when they are superposed one upon the other as the dial member (14) is rotated.
The shower bathing device according to claim 2, characterized in that one of the through-holes (17) and (18) is shaped circular and the other of them is shaped like a water drop, widening more and more from one end to the other end thereof.
The shower bathing device according to claim 1, characterized in that said adjusting means comprises a plate member (30) interposed between the chamber (5) and the mixing area (6) and provided with a solution adjusting through-hole (31) communicated with the chamber (5) and an air through-hole (32) opened outside, and a dial member (14) arranged rotatable round the pressure reducing chamber (4) and provided with a solution adjusting through-hole (33) and an air through-hole (34) and wherein the through-holes (31) and (33) of the chamber (5) and the dial member (14) are postioned to become superposed one upon the other as the dial member (14) is rotated and the through-holes (32) and (34) of the chamber (5) and the dial member (14) are positioned to become communicated and closed as the dial member (14) is rotated while both of them are shaped so different from the other as to change the open sectional area of a hole formed when they are superposed one upon the other as the dial member (14) is rotated.
The shower bathing device according to claim 1, further comprising a means (35) for communicating the passage means (2) with the pressure reducing chamber (4).